CONFLICT AND CO-OPERATION 1918–1939

THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES:

David Lord George: Prime Minister of Great Britain

What did he want?
1) He wanted to preserve Britain's position as the greatest naval power. He wanted
the German naval fleet sunk
2) Britain wanted to protect its Empire and trading interests.
3) Wanted a 'just' peace that would be tough enough to please the electors who
wanted to 'make Germany pay', but would leave Germany strong enough to trade.

French Prime Minister: Georges Clemenceau

What did he want?
1. Revenge and to punish Germany.
2. To return Alsace-Lorraine to France.
3. No League of Nations.
4. An independent Rhineland.
5. Huge reparations.
6. To disband the German army so that Germany would never be strong
enough to attack France again.

US President Woodrow Wilson

What did he want?
1. To end war by creating a League of Nations based on his Fourteen Points.
2. To ensure Germany was not destroyed.
3. Not to blame Germany for the war - he hated the Guilt Clause.
4. No more secret treaties
5. Countries must seek to reduce their weapons and their armed forces
6. National self-determination should allow people of the same nationality to
govern themselves and one nationality should not have the power to govern
another

The main points of the Treaty [MEMORY WORD: BRAT]

The first 26 Articles of the Treaty set out the Covenant of the League of Nations; the
rest of the 440 Articles detailed Germany's punishment:

1. Germany had to accept the Blame for starting the war (Clause 231). This was
vital because it provided the justification for...
2. Germany had to pay £6,600 million (called Reparations) for the damage done
during the war.
3. Germany was forbidden to have submarines or an air force. She could have
a navy of only six battleships, and an Army of just 100,000 men. In addition,
Germany was not allowed to place any troops in the Rhineland, the strip of
land, 50 miles wide, next to France.
4. Germany lost Territory (land) in Europe (see map, below). Germany’s colonies
were given to Britain and France.
(Also, Germany was forbidden to join the League of Nations, or unite with Austria.)

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS: WHAT WAS IT AND HOW EFFECTIVE WAS IT?

FOUR AIMS OF THE LEAGUE [memory word: SIDE]

1. Stop war – (Article 10 of the Covenant = ‘collective security’)
2. Improve people's lives and Jobs – Encourage co-operation in trade/ Economic
and social agencies.
3. Disarmament
4. Enforce the Treaty of Versailles

MEMBERSHIP OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

1. 42 countries joined at the start. By the 1930s this had risen to 60.
2. May 1920, the US Senate voted against Versailles.
3. The USSR did not join the League. In 1919 it set up the Comintern to cause
revolution.
4. Germany was not allowed to join the League as a punishment for causing WWI.
5. The leading members were Britain and France, helped by Japan and Italy.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE LEAGUE

Secretariat: supposed to co-ordinate the different functions of the League/ too few
secretaries to do the work - slow and inefficient
Council: met 4-5 times a year/ 5 permanent members - Br, Fr, It, Jap & Ger - with a
veto.
Assembly: the League’s main meeting, held once a year/ decisions only by
unanimous vote
+ the Committees: Court of international justice/ Health committee/ International
labour organization/ Refugees committee/ Mandates commission/ Slavery
commission
ALSO Conference of ambassadors (not really part of the League's organisation).

THREE STRENGTHS OF THE LEAGUE [memory Word: SUM]

1. Set up by the Treaty of Versailles
2. Universal membership, all of which had signed the Covenant promising to
support the League.
3. Means of Influence – Covenant (26 promises which every member agreed to
follow)/ Moral condemnation (public opinion)/ Arbitration (act as a referee)/
 Sanctions (refuse to trade)/ Military Force (send an army)/ ‘Community of Power’
(acting together).

SIX SUCCESSES OF THE LEAGUE IN THE 1920s

1. Silesia, 1921 – Germany and Poland agreed to partition after a plebiscite.
2. Aaland Islands, 1921 – said the islands should belong to Finland; Sweden and
Finland agreed.
3. Mosul, 1924 – the Turks demanded Mosul, Iraq. The League supported Iraq;
Turkey agreed.
4. Bulgaria, 1925 – Greece invaded Bulgaria, but withdrew when Bulgaria appealed
to the League. The League got their way and Greece obeyed them.
5. Other: 400,000 Prisoners of War repatriated/ Turkish refugee camps (1922)/
Leprosy/ Drugs companies closed down/ Attacked slave owners in Sierra Leone
and Burma/ Economic advice to Austria and Hungary
6. Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928 – signed by 23 nations and supported by 65, to outlaw
war. This CLEARLY did not work and no-one listened to it in reality.
7. Locarno Treaties, 1925- Fixed borders of Belgium, France, & Germany/ Provided
French security. French happy/ Hailed as big success – 1926 Germany join the
League, & was treated equally.
8. The Slavery Commission
9. Commission for refugees- Oversaw repatriation and when necessary,
resettlement/ Up to 1920, it helped 425,000 refugees return home/ It established
camps in Turkey in 1922 to deal with a refugee crisis and to help prevent disease
and hunger.
SIX FAILURES OF THE LEAGUE IN THE 1920s [memory word: VIMCOD]
1. Vilna, 1920 – Poland refused the League orders to withdraw from Vilna.
2. Invasion of the Ruhr, 1923 – by France; the League was not even consulted, and
Britain disagreed.
3. Memel, 1923 – The League told Lithuania to leave, but the Conference of
Ambassadors agreed.
4. Corfu, 1923 – General Tellini murdered, so Italy occupied Corfu. The Conference
of Ambassadors overruled the League’s order to Mussolini to leave – forced
Greece to pay compensation to Italy. Mussolini basically got his way and over
ruled the league. Its own members had undermined the league.
5. Other Treaties: Washington , 1921/ Dawes Plan, 1924/ Locarno Pact, 1925/ The
Geneva Protocol, 1924 (to support the League of Nations) failed because Britain
refused to sign it
6. Disarmament – Britain objected to the 1923 conference/ 1932-1934 conference
was wrecked when Hitler demanded parity with France. The League could do
NOTHING to stop re-armament.

TWO FAILURES OF THE LEAGUE IN THE 1930s

1. Manchuria, 1931: Japan invaded Manchuria as they wanted to expand their
power. Manchuria appealed to the league to help. The League sent officials
(took a year)/ voted that Japan return Manchuria (Feb 1933 - Japan resigned
from the League)/ could not agree economic sanctions or arms sales ban.
League could do nothing to stop them and Japan effectively showed the
League had no powers of enforcement.
2. Abyssinia, 1935: Mussolini invaded (October 1935) Haile Selassie’s Abyssinia/
Britain and France secretly agreed to give Abyssinia to Italy (Hoare-Laval Pact,
1935)/ The League tried sanctions on arms sales, rubber and metals, but they
did not close the Suez Canal or ban oil sales. Again, this showed the League had
no powers of enforcement.
3. These failures killed the League – Mussolini gained prestige/ Britain, France and
the League were weakened - countries decided it was a ‘sham’, left and
began to prepare for war instead. Hitler saw how the league did NOTHING to
stop Mussolini and Japan and this fueled him. In 1936 Hitler went on to occupy
the Rhineland.

EIGHT REASONS THE LEAGUE FAILED [memory word: BUSTED UP]

1. Britain and France – were not prepared to use their armies and had other
priorities.
2. USA, USSR and Germany – USA was never a member/ USSR not until 1934/
Germany not until 1926, and Hitler left the League in 1933.
3. Structure – its organisation was cumbersome so decisions were very slow.
4. Treaty of Versailles set up the League – so it was hated because the Treaty was
hateful.
5. Economic Depression – countries acted to save their own interests, and ignored
the League.
6. Dictators – dictators like Mussolini and Hitler would not compromise.
7. Unsuccessful – the League’s failures damaged its reputation, so members
left/ignored it.
8. Powerless: moral condemnation was just ignored by powerful nations/ the
League had no armies/ people found ways round sanctions.
 THE GREAT DEPRESSION: WHAT WAS IT AND WHAT WAS ITS IMPACT?

Main Event: Wall Street Crash 1929 in America

Economic nationalism
As the Depression hit, the internationalist spirit of the 1920s was replaced by a more selfish,
nationalist approach:
 Protectionism: Some countries (including Britain, France and the USA) tried to
protect their own industries. Countries began looking INWARD and not OUTWARD.
 Rearmament: Many countries (including Germany, Japan, Italy and Britain) began
the process of REARMAMENT as a way of boosting industry and finding jobs for the
unemployed. Afraid of being left weak while other states built up their armed
forces, more and more countries did the same.
 Rise in Extremist Parties in Germany and Italy.
 Ideas of NATIONALISM and NOT INTERNATIONALISM become prominent.

American loans called in

 At the end of the First World War, Europe’s economies were in ruins. Loans from US
banks had helped Europe to recover in the 1920s. Most of the loans had gone to
help rebuild the German economy (Dawes Plan 1924 and Young Plan 1929), but
the USA had also provided financial assistance to new states in central and Eastern
Europe, including Poland and Czechoslovakia. When the Depression hit, many US
banks started to run out of money. As a result, they called in their loans, asking
European banks to pay back the money they had borrowed.
 Britain and France suffered great hardship, but the effects in Germany and other
central European states were disastrous. Unemployment rocketed. By 1933 over 6
million were unemployed in Germany. When the USA, Britain and France also
introduced tariffs and refused to lend money to Germany, the Germans felt bitter
and betrayed.

ROAD TO WORLD
WAR TWO:
 Hitler's Foreign Policy Aims
Destroy Treaty of Versailles To unite all German people

Hitler's main aim was to destroy the Treaty Hitler wanted to bring the 11 million
of Versailles. He wanted to take back Germans in Poland, Austria and
German land and build up his army. Czechoslovakia back into one Greater
Germany.

To conquer Lebensraum in the East Defeat Communism

Hitler wanted Lebensraum (Living Space) Hitler hated communism and he made
for the growing German population in the it clear that Germany would eventually
East (Poland and Russia)/ go to war to defeat communist Russia.

Early Agreements/Rearmament

1933 World Disarmament Conference Hitler withdrew Germany from on grounds no

other country would disarm to German level

1934 Germany signed a non aggression Pact with Poland. Sign of lack of faith in
League of Nations, Hitler not interested yet in Eastern border .

1935 Germany introduced conscription – against Treaty of Versailles

Rearmament
Began in secret took Germany out of League of Nations in 1933. 1935 introduced
conscription, Increased spending on arms, huge rearmament rally. Increased
airforce to 8,250 by 1939.
1935 Naval Agreement between Britain and Germany. Allowed Germany to build
up to 35% of size of British navy. Against Treaty of Versailles, but signed as no general
agreement from all countries on disarmament.

Assessment
Showed Britain and France not prepared to defend Treaty of Versailles so
encouraged Hitler/ Made him stronger and more likely to have the strength to take
over other countries.

Saar 1935
Treaty of Versailles had removed this industrial area and placed under League of
Nations control for 15 years. Nazis had stirred up trouble and violence and
intimidation was part of campaign. However this was called off in November 1934 as
Nazis feared French intervention. When plebiscite (vote) was to be held in Saar
January 1935 voted 90% in favour of returning to Germany

Assessment
First victory of regaining land lost at Versailles, Hitler gained in confidence. Hitler
beginning to rise in power.

Remilitarisation of Rhineland of 1936

March 1936-German troops marched into Rhineland,

breaking Treaty of Versailles and Locarno Treaty.
France and Britain did not stop him/ League of Nations
powerless, didn’t want to risk war.

Assessment

Showed Treaty of Versailles could be broken without

any action from Britain and France.
First big test of a territorial term of Treaty of Versailles
and encouraged Hitler that no-one would do anything
if he broke TOV.
Showed weakness of Britain and France.
Hitler admitted secretly he could have been stopped
as not strong enough army yet.

Anschluss (Union) with Austria 1938

Why did Hitler want Austria?

Austria was Hitler's homeland, held many German speaking people and key
resources.
Also it was banned by the Treaty of Versailles

What Happened?
Hitler encouraged the Nazis in Austria to stir up trouble and call for the union of the
Germany and Austria
The Austrian leader asked the people to vote on whether they wanted a union, Hitler
did not want this as they might vote no!
Hitler sent German troops in Austria to ensure the vote was ‘peaceful’ but they
intimidated the voters and the Austrian leader is replaced by a Nazy
99.75% of people voted yes for the Anschluss and Hitler succeeds.

Assessment
First territorial gain of an independent country showed Treaty of Versailles could be
broken without any action from Allies.
Showed weakness of Britain and France-they did not take action as “German
speaking people”. To a certain extent Britain and France thought Hitler had a point.
Important as made Germany stronger with more manpower and resources
However, little could be done by Britain and France as many Austrians supported
Anschluss

APPEASEMENT – Britain and France

1. Accepted re-arming of Germany (British naval
agreement, 1935)
2. No action over re-occupation of Rhineland (1936)
3. Allowed Hitler to use German bombers in Spanish
Civil War (1937–39)
4. No action over Anschluss (1938).
5. Gave in over Sudetenland at Munich (1938

Neville Chamberlain followed the

policy of appeasement in the 1930s. Chamberlain had a number of reasons for
giving into Hitler's demands:

WHY APPEASEMENT?
1. Chamberlain feared another war. People wanted peace so not enough public
support to go to war.
2. Belief in the League of Nations to solve problems so they did not threaten Hitler
with war.
3. Britain too weak for war in 1938, needed time to re-arm so appeasement bought
Britain a year to re-arm.
4. Treaty of Versailles was considered unfair so many British people sympathised
with Hitler's demands.
5. Chamberlain misjudged Hitler so he trusted Hitler's promises that Sudetenland
was the last thing he wanted
6. Fear of Communism so people let Hitler grow strong because they thought a
strong Germany could stop Russia.
 • How did Appeasement increase the chance of war?
• It encouraged Hitler to be more aggressive to get what he wanted
• It made Britain look scared and weak, making Hitler more confident
• It did not directly cause war in 1939, but it made it more likely!

CONSEQUENCES:

Sudetenland 1938

Events

• Hitler demands a union between the Sudetenland and Germany, he

again gets the Nazis in the area started to stir up trouble.
• Chamberlain offers Hitler some parts of the Sudetenland, but wanted
all of the Sudetenland. It builds tension as Britain, France and USSR
promised to support the Czechs after Hitler threatens war.
• At a meeting in Munich, Britain and France betray Czechoslovakia and
give all the Sudetenland to Germany. Chamberlain thinks Hitler can be
reasonable and thinks Czechoslovakia is not worth fighting for.
• Hitler promises peace and says he has no more wishes, he and
Chamberlain sign a peace agreement ‘peace in our time’

Assessment

Munich Agreement weakened Czechoslovakia and made Germany stronger.

Stirred up trouble with other nationalities . Made further trouble more likely.
Munich agreement made Hitler see Chamberlain as weak so encouraged more
aggression from Hitler.
Showed to USSR that Britain and France were weak so later USSR did their own deal
called the Nazi Soviet Pact.

Czechoslovakia March 1939

In March 1939, Hitler took the rest of Czechoslovakia

This was a huge turning point – Hitler could not justify taking Czechoslovakia as there
were no German people there.
Hitler had broken the Munich Agreement and his promises to Britain, he could no
longer be trusted.

Assessment
Made Germany even stronger.
Made Chamberlain finally realise Hitler could not be trusted so Britain and France
then made an agreement with Poland to defend if attacked. Thus, this made war
inevitable if Hitler invaded Poland
Britain began seriously preparing for war eg conscription introduced in peace time
for first time. Re-armament increased.

Nazi Soviet Pact

On 23 August 1939, Russia and Germany signed a non-aggression pact. They were
two sworn enemies and this surprised everyone!

Why?

1. Stalin was unhappy that Britain delayed in signing an alliance with them.
2. Hitler thought an alliance with Russia, would stop Britain/France opposing his
invasion of Poland

How did they benefit?

• Hitler could invade Poland without being stopped

• Stalin would get Poland and also time to prepare for war with Germany which
he knew was coming
• Importance:
• As a direct result the German army invaded Poland on 1st September 1939 –
this brought Britain into protecting Poland
• Therefore the Nazi-Soviet Pact directly led to World War 2

The Outbreak of World War Two:

1 September 1939: Hitler invades Poland.

3 September 1939: Britain and France declare war on Germany.

ABREVIATION TO REMEMBER ON CAUSES OF WW2 IN CHRONOLOGICAL
ORDER:

Conscription & Rearmament

Remilitarisation of the Rhineland

Anschluss
CRAMCUP
Munich Conference

Czechoslovakia

USSR and Nazi Pact

Poland